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‘Click It or Ticket’ enforcement to begin

The last two weeks of this month, May 18-31, the Governor’s Highway Safety Office is partnering with law enforcement statewide for the national Click It or Ticket enforcement mobilization.

According to Governor’s Highway Safety Office Director Kendell Poole, Tennessee is still considered a low use state on a national level despite the state reaching its highest seat belt use rate last year at 87.71 percent. According to the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, over half of those who died in traffic accidents in Tennessee last year were not restrained at the time of the crash.

As of 6 p.m. Monday, law enforcement agencies joined forces to provide increased seat belt enforcement at state borders. According to a news release, this will send a zero-tolerance message to the public: Driving or riding unbuckled will result in a ticket, no matter what state.

This additional overnight enforcement is a result of national research indicating that unbelted fatalities are more prevalent at night, the release said.

Each year, about 33,000 people are killed in motor vehicle crashes. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 4 and every age 11 through 27 in the U.S. With 45 percent to 60 percent effectiveness, seat belts are the single most effective means of reducing the risk of death in a crash and have saved nearly 300,000 lives since 1975 in the U.S.

In 2012, seat belts saved an estimated 12,174 lives, according to the the AAA Exchange web site.

According to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff’s Department, Gov. Bill Haslam signed a bill last month that will more than double Tennessee’s seat belt violation fine beginning in January 2016.

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, and more people will be on the roads, we encourage you to always buckle up. Seat belts save lives.

OTHER VIEWS

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, Tennessee, on the right to vote being precious:

In recent weeks, reporters for The Commercial Appeal have written stories recalling the murders of brave African-American men who were slain in 1940 and 1955 while trying to win the right to vote for African-Americans. Both are national icons for bravery.

In Brownsville, Tennessee, on the evening of June 20, 1940, Elbert Williams became the first NAACP member murdered in the pursuit of civil rights. His death was poorly investigated and no one was ever prosecuted. Some whites had made it clear to Williams and others fighting for the right to vote that their efforts were not appreciated.

In Belzoni, Mississippi, in 1955, Rev. George W. Lee was fighting for voting rights when he was ambushed as he drove his car. A shotgun blast tore away part of his face. Again there was an inadequate investigation by local authorities and, once again, no one was prosecuted.

So, why was the retelling of these incidents so many years later, when times and attitudes have changed, important?

The murders are a reminder that the right to vote is a precious commodity for which some people have paid the ultimate price to guarantee.

TENNCARE MISERY METER

Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey’s, House Speaker Beth Harwell’s and the Tennessee General Assembly’s lack of leadership and urgency and failure to expand TennCare under the Affordable Care Act are bringing misery to an estimated 280,000 Tennesseans who could have received health insurance, including an estimated 30,000 veterans. Meanwhile, the financial stability of hospitals is at risk, and workers could lose their jobs. It is costing Tennesseans an estimated $2.5 million per day. The loss to date is:

$1,733,500,000

SUN EDITORIAL POLICY

The opinions expressed in editorials labeled as “Our View” represent those of The Jackson Sun’s editorial board. Viewpoints expressed in other columns or letters represent the opinions of the writers only. Letters to the editor are encouraged. Letters should, in most cases, be fewer than 300 words and address a public issue.

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